Colossal backlogs blighting Britain’s Passport Office are threatening to hamper summer travel plans.
The government is urging people to file their application for a new passport “as soon as possible” to avoid disappointment as delays of up to five months were reported.
Many Britons delayed renewing their passports during the Covid-19 pandemic while travel restrictions remained in place in the UK and further afield. The Passport Office said as many as five million people had put off making applications during 2020 and 2021.
The government said it has seen an unprecedented surge in demand for passports as millions of people plan to enjoy their first foreign trip in two years.
Under post-Brexit EU rules, a British passport must be valid for at least three months after the date of travel to a member state.
MPs told the House of Commons on Monday that a new 10-week target for processing applications has been repeatedly missed.
They accused the Passport Office of being responsible for an “absolute shambles” and said the delays had put people’s much-anticipated travel plans at risk.
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